There are just over 2 months to go until the March 31 deadline to sign up for health insurance under Obamacare, and not everyone is sold on purchasing the kind of comprehensive and often pricey plans offered in the insurance exchanges set up under the law.

One alternative that may hold some appeal, especially for those under 30, is concierge medicine. With concierge medicine, you pay a regular retainer monthly or annually for the right to have a doctor manage your health care and perform basic procedures such as checkups and tests.

Paired with a high-deductible health insurance plan, it can meet a broad variety of health care needs without having to do the messy insurance dance for most of your medical care. Certain concierge practices, including AtlasMD, even offer house calls as a membership benefit.

Despite the name, concierge medicine isn’t always pricey

The name makes it sounds pricey — and you definitely can pay A LOT for concierge medicine — but it doesn’t have to be. According to research conducted by the Concierge Medicine Research Collective in 2013 and published in Concierge Medicine Today, approximately 70 percent of concierge medicine patients paid between $50 and $180 a month for basic medical care and doctor accessibility. Between 62 percent and 67 percent of patients paid less than $135 per month. A typical concierge medicine provider like the group SignatureMD, with providers all over the country, charges an annual retainer fee between $1,500 and $2,000.

Most concierge medicine providers are internal medicine specialists — the type of general physician you’d typically list as a primary care physician. In 2012, the Collective reported 60 percent of concierge physicians were internal medicine specialists with the second most common type of concierge medicine provider being family practices, which also treat children.

The exact benefits of membership vary based on practice and membership does not cover the cost of prescription medication, nor all possible services required, though concierge doctors are often able to negotiate lower prices on services not covered by the practice.

According to data gathered by Tetreault and others, including Bargaineering, many tests and screenings can be substantially cheaper at concierge clinics than at hospital labs.

Tetreault cites a concierge physician in Atlanta who has negotiated with a local facility to get CAT scans for his patients at only $150. According to the Healthcare Bluebook, CAT scans at other facilities hover between $500 and $700, with some types reaching into the thousands. A colonoscopy costs an average of $2,000 at a lab, hospital or screening facility, while the average concierge price is $400. A mammogram goes from $350 down to $80. The prices of brain MRIs and X-Rays, respectively, are nearly halved.

“(I have) noticed that any patient that comes in as a ‘cash pay’ will always pay less than what a hospital or imaging center is billing the insurance for the same test,” says Dr. Tiffany Sizemore-Ruiz, a concierge doctor in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.

Concierge medicine is not exclusive to general care physicians; the practice is continually growing and many surgeons, for instance, are also offering up their services for out-of-pocket payments. One New York City-based concierge orthopedic surgery practice lists the costs of procedures upfront on its website.

How concierge medicine fits in with Obamacare

Patients who choose concierge medicine often opt to also purchase a catastrophic insurance policy in the event of a major medical emergency.

Under Obamacare, specific rules about what such insurance plans must cover have gone into effect, increasing their cost to around $130 to $140 per month for those under 30. Unlike a conventional health insurance policy, catastrophic plans are intended for “worst case scenarios” and everyone pays the same monthly premium, regardless of income.

Catastrophic policies typically have low monthly premiums but higher deductibles than regular insurance plans — up to $6,350 for individuals or $12,700 for multi-person plans. On the other hand, while premiums for a catastrophic policy vary based on state, insurance type and health factors, they’re usually considerably lower than for more comprehensive policies.

In the event of a catastrophe, you’ll only pay the big bucks until you reach the deductible amount, at which point the insurance plan will cover you. Under Obamacare, catastrophic policies are reserved for those under 30, or who qualify for one of many exemptions.

Those who decide to opt out of buying health insurance through Obamacare and participate solely in concierge medicine must also take into consideration the financial penalty not having insurance will incur. This fee will start at $95 per adult in 2014, or one percent of their income (whichever is greater), with the fee rising each year.

Solutions are in the works, though, that could better integrate concierge medicine into the Obamacare framework.

“There is a real chance that concierge medicine … could flourish under the Affordable Care Act,” says Kenneth E. Thorpe, a professor of health policy and management at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health.

Insurance companies and medical providers are currently in talks over other “wrap-around insurance plans” that could be added to a concierge membership, Thorpe says.

So what’s been the impact of the Obamacare rollout on concierge medicine? According to a 2012 survey conducted by the Concierge Medicine Today Research Council, 90 percent of concierge physicians reported they were doing better financially than the previous year.

“My practice has grown steadily since the ACA was passed,” Knope says. “This is true of all the concierge doctors that I know.”

“Patients tell me that they are very concerned about finding a concierge doctor before all of the concierge practices are full,” Knope says. “Legitimate fear of the ACA is driving a great deal of demand for concierge services.”

Getting started

Dr. Steven D. Knope, a concierge medicine practitioner in Tucson, says the best way for a person to go about finding a good concierge practitioner is looking online. Knope suggests beginning with an Internet search, as almost all concierge doctors have their own websites. He advises then checking the doctor’s credentials.

“If he or she appears to be well-trained and qualified, call the office to set up an interview,” Knope says. “You will want to see if this is a good match before you write a check. An interview with the doctor is an opportunity to see how you feel interacting with this person.”

What do you think? Do you have any experience with concierge medicine?

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“Naturopathic physicians are becoming concierge doctors because they get to provide the high level of care expected of ND/NMD’s without the conflict of charging compliant patients more than non-compliant patients.”

I believe doctors in every field are turning to concierge medicine as a way to stop having to negotiate with health insurance providers. I would suggest googling something like “concierge naturopathic physicians” and then adding your location to the search. It might take some searching but, particularly if you’re in a metropolitan area, I think you will probably have some success! As Knope notes, make sure to conduct an interview and ask many questions before signing up for anything!

Bev, I responded to your question but somehow it didn’t show up! I visited naturopathic.org to answer your question and found this:

“Naturopathic physicians are becoming concierge doctors because they get to provide the high level of care expected of ND/NMD’s without the conflict of charging compliant patients more than non-compliant patients. We have all had the patient that came to see us after their cold turned to pneumonia because they didn’t want to pay for an unnecessary office visit. With concierge medicine, they already paid for the year and call you at the first sign of symptoms. Depending on what you charge, you may even provide immune supplements free of charge. Either way, we all know that it is easier to treat a cold in the beginning then after pneumonia settles in.”

I think you can find concierge doctors in just about every field these days. I suggest doing a google search of “naturopathic concierge physicians” and then adding your location to the search. This will be a great way to find what’s nearby. Your chances are probably better if you’re in or near a metropolitan area. As Dr. Knope pointed out, an interview with the doctor is essential and make sure to ask all questions you may have.

If you’re a relatively young and relatively healthy person under 30 years old then I doubt paying the fees for a concierge doctor is going to pay off in the long run. You’d be paying $600-$2000 out of pocket for the service. Most people in their 20′s do not typically spend that much for routine doctor services. This doesn’t seem like a safe bet financially. I mean when I was in my 20′s I’d go for an annual checkup and that was about it and now wellness visits are free.

Right, Freeby. Originally under Obamacare, catastrophic policies were actually only approved for people under 30. At the last minute they changed that rule saying anyone can have a catastrophic policy and not pay a penalty. There are lots of ideas floating around about concierge medicine i.e. “it’s only for rich people,” “only Conservatives are doing it,” even “it’s only for old people.” I think there’s a lot of murky information out there, but I agree, perhaps not the best option for young people who rarely go to the doctor (though they’re still paying relatively higher prices for their insurance packages.) I think a nice thing about concierge medicine is you can try it for awhile and quit at any point (If you’re paying the monthly fee or need a specific procedure.) So really a lot of factors are at play in making a decision. (I, for instance, struggled with anxiety-based hypochondria throughout my late teens and early twenties and I basically lived at various doctors’ offices….obviously this is an extreme case.)

Another thing to consider is a young person having to choose a policy might not really know what they’re doing. Cash-for-care is relatively straightforward if you can afford it, if you haven’t done all your research on Obamacare and don’t want to get locked into a policy you don’t really understand. Just a thought. Still, I think you make a good point.

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